I love Elvis Presley Music
A musical revolution occurred in the 1950s, courtesy of Rock ‘n’Roll and Elvis Presley music in particular. Born in 1935 in Mississippi, Elvis grew up listening to country music, gospel and the blues. This mix had a profound influence on him. He sang and played guitar from a young age and destiny called when he walked into the Sun Record studios to record in 1953.
The young singer proceeded to the RCA label and the radio DJs took notice of this new sound. The live concerts stunned young audiences, particularly the girls who screamed at their loudest. Elvis had the looks and an incredible voice, perfect for singing up tempo rockers and ballads. His breakthrough single was Heartbreak Hotel, which he received a co-writing credit for. It reached number one in 1956 and the music of Elvis Presley was here to stay on both sides of the Atlantic.
The song writing partnership of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller provided the next number one with Hound Dog. The chart topping hits kept coming in the 1950s, including Don’t Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, and Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear. The films that Elvis made also provided some success, including Jailhouse Rock. Three great musicians contributed to the early Elvis Presley music, providing the beat and the rhythm. Scotty Moore played guitar, Bill Black was on double bass and D.J Fontana was the drummer.
The 1960s brought more hits with Are You Lonesome Tonight, Return to Sender and Wooden Heart. In the 1970s, there was The Wonder of You, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Burning Love and Way Down. Musical trends came and went through the years but Elvis fans stayed loyal, clamoring for tickets to his spectacular live shows.
The back catalogue also contains the soundtracks from the many Elvis movies. His first film was in 1957 when he made Loving You. Other films include King Creole, G.I Blues, Kid Galahad, and Fun in Acapulco. A TV Special provides another soundtrack of Elvis Presley music and a DVD. The show was known as the Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special. Elvis is seen in peak physical condition and looked fantastic in a black leather suit. He sang and played guitar with his old buddy, Scotty Moore, in front of a small intimate audience. The show’s finale is his moving song, If I Can Dream.
One of Elvis’s abiding passions was his religious faith and his love of gospel music. He recorded many gospel songs over the years and these have been gathered together on the Elvis Ultimate Gospel cd. Tracks include How Great Thou Art, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and Crying in the Chapel. Elvis Presley music is also associated with Christmas. Some of these records are on the Elvis Presley Christmas Duets album, and include O Come All Ye Faithful with Olivia Newton John, Blue Christmas with Martina McBride, and White Christmas with Amy Grant.
The legend of Elvis lives on and this was apparent in 2002 when one of his largely forgotten songs was given a new lease of life. Elvis had recorded A Little Less Conversation for the movie Live a Little, Love a Little in 1968. A re-mix dance version was released in 2002 and was a number one hit in many countries and has featured in several films and TV commercials.
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